The shooting star spectacle peaks on the night of Wednesday
into Thursday morning, with as many as 90 to 100 shooting stars an hour,
according to the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and the Royal
Astronomical Society in the U.K. In the eastern U.S., the most
prolific cosmic bombardment will likely be around 4 a.m. Eastern time.

This year’s peak could be phenomenal because the Perseids
won’t compete with moon light, since the waning crescent moon sets at 6:44
p.m. on Wednesday. This will create a nice dark, moon-free
heaven for meteor observers.

How can you watch? “Look towards the familiar
constellations Cassiopeia and Perseus in the northeast,” according to NASA.
“They rise soon after sunset, but you’ll want to wait til they are higher in
the sky to see the most meteors.”

It helps to be in a dark location, away from the brightest
city lights, but here is no need to set up a telescope or binoculars. Arm
yourself with a beverage, walk outside and stare at the sky. Beach and
rural settings might be a perfect fit for finding shooting stars.